Raytheon SDB II moves ahead
Raytheon has completed a series of captive flight tests on the Small Diameter Bomb II, demonstrating that the company's tri-mode seeker could acquire and track moving vehicles. Raytheon made the announcement in a 13 December 2011 company statement.
Testing saw a seeker built on an active production line mounted on a UH-1 helicopter successfully track moving targets from different distances, angles and altitudes using uncooled imaging infrared (IIR) and millimetre-wave (MMW) radar modes. The tests met all objectives and set the stage for a free-flight test in 2012.
The SDB II is the world's first weapon capable of engaging fixed or moving targets around-the-clock in adverse weather conditions from a range of greater than 40 nautical miles (approximately 46 statute miles).
According to Raytheon, with SDB II, enemies can no longer use darkness, battlefield obscurants or inclement weather to hide their troop movements. SDB II's integrated tri-mode seeker fuses MMW radar, uncooled IIR and semiactive laser sensors on a single gimbal, which enables the weapon to seek and destroy targets despite weather conditions.
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